


There's a Difference

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-20
Updated: 2010-06-20
Packaged: 2019-01-19 15:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12412815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Lily Evans did not like James Potter one bit, so just imagine her horror when she is told that to pass her Muggle Studies she has to show James how muggles live, by letting him stay with her for a month. Summer really is going to be a disaster.





	There's a Difference

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

Hello :) 

_Disclaimer: Im not Jo, so it just isnt mine (unfortunately)_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 

Chaser and Captain of the quidditch team. Without even opening a book, he was academically on top of his game. He had three of the greatest, most loyal best friends who would quite literally do anything for him. Oh yes, James Potter had the life. And I haven't even mentioned his looks yet, James along with his best friend Sirius were regarded two of the sexiest men to walk the corridors of Hogwarts, with his 'I just got off my broom' untameable hair, his liquid topaz eyes, being heavily magnified by his glasses, seemed to make certain girls fall into a trance of sorts, and then of course his athletic but not too sturdy quidditch build. Yes, James Potter could get any girl he wanted, in fact, girls would sometimes quite literally throw themselves at him at parties…all except one. There was only one girl that James Potter wanted, the one girl that from the tender age of 12 he had tortured himself over, trying to impress, yes, the remarkable James Potter was in love and unfortunately he was in love with possibly the only girl at Hogwarts who couldn't stand the sight of him.

Lily Evans loved her life. She was on top academically, predicted to have a wonderful insightful life after Hogwarts. She had four of the best dorm mates a girl could possibly have and she was lucky enough to say that three of them had become her very best friends. Replacement sisters, if you will. Lily Evans was one of the very lucky few, who had, not only the brains, but the beauty. She was pretty…not in the room stopping, attention seeking, speechless, mouths dropped pretty, but a quirky unexplainable pretty. The kind that just seemed to draw boys in, yes…Lily Evans was no stranger to being asked out on a regular basis, and unfortunately for those who asked, she was also no stranger to saying _no_. Of course with her lengthy pale autumn auburn coloured hair and her intense emerald coloured eyes, who could blame the boys for trying? Lily didn't mind being asked out, in fact she rather enjoyed it, like any other 17 year old girl she found it flattering, but unfortunately Lily had just got out of a rather bad relationship ending with a particularly bad break up and just wasn't ready to get back in the old dating game. No…Lily Evans most certainly did not _mind_ being asked out by anyone, anyone _except_ for James Potter.

Unfortunately for James, Lily had an almost insane hatred for him. Ever since she was a small, frizzy haired, 12 year old, Lily had found James to be nothing but an arrogant, conceited, ungrateful (although, that was out of jealousy, James beat her in everything but potions, muggle studies and charms and he never even opened a book). She found James to be insensitive (after the way he treated poor Jane Donnelly), immature (I mean honestly, 17 and he and his silly marauder mates still found it amusing to bewitch the dinner plates to sing) and of course just downright annoying, as even after 4 years of her saying no, he still found it acceptable to ask her out.

No…Lily Evan did not like James Potter one bit.

So just imagine her horror when she found out he would be living with her for a month…

* * *

Lily Evans slumped slightly lower in her seat, just another one of the many sixth years, apathetically pretending to listen to the heads of houses talking. Her best friend Hannah Livingstone rammed her elbows into her ribs making her jump.

"This applies to you, listen" she said sternly. Lily rolled her eyes and faced the front, sharing a dorm with Hannah was sometimes like sharing a dorm with Professor McGonagall. Hannah was one of the most unyielding people Lily had ever met. She was sardonic, bitchy, and studious and had an obsession with muggle rock, and Lily bloody loved her.

"This will account for 65% of your overall Muggle Studies grade so I would suggest you take it seriously" The tone of Professor McGonagall's voices let everyone know that she was not merely suggesting but demanding. "Each pure blood will be required to board at a muggle born witch or wizards house, all half bloods will be required to either ask their muggle born parents or visit a muggle family member. You will have to discuss muggle technology, muggle social events and how muggles live everyday without the use of magic. The muggleborns in turn, will write their piece on how well their match was able to integrate themselves into muggle society."

Lily's mouth dropped, as did many others in the room. She would have to take on a pure blood, who would have to live in her house and meet her family…meet her _sister!_ Merlin what if she got a Slytherin, or Snape, no way! If she got Snape, she would refuse; they couldn't force her to allow him to stay in her house. No Way!

"Now unfortunately" Lily's Potions professor, a rather round bellied, slightly balding man. Professor Slughorn said. "No Slytherins were granted permission from their guardians to participate and instead will be doing theirs theoretically" he said rather dejectedly. Lily smiled slightly as she took in Slughorns expression. He really did look saddened by the fact that his house wouldn't be taking part.

"You have all been matched according to suitability, to avoid the risk of you all hexing each other in your sleep. The matches will not be changed under any circumstances I am afraid. If you do not like you partner _, learn to like them_. If you do not know them, then I would suggest you get to know them because in August you will be spending 27 days living with them. You will receive your matches tomorrow morning at breakfast. And I hope you all will participate in this project with the right amount of enthusiasm, in our troubled times, this is a great way to make new friends and to support good relations with your other houses-That is all, you may leave" McGonagall said stepping down from the podium.

* * *

Lily and her friends stumbled into their dorm room that night rather tipsy from the drinking game they had been playing with Andrea's (Lily's dorm mate and number one best friend) Ravenclaw twin sister Anna.

Lily shared a dorm with Andrea O'Reilly; a quirky platinum blonde haired girl from the back end of nowhere in Northern Ireland and while small in height Andy definitely made up for it in personality, just like her twin, Andy was attracted to all things insane and all things that normal people should probably never do.

Mary McDonald, quite plain compared to the rest of them, having long chestnut brown hair and watery brown eyes, Mary never really spent that much time with the others except for at night, but Lily liked her.

Kerri Conway the complete stereotypical Dubliner, Irish dancer, played the tin whistle, talked just like the leprechauns and had the fiery red hair to go with it, Kerri was the talker of the dorm, she was the one who kept everyone up at night talking about the boy she fancied or the shape of the moon or the particularly pretty flower she had smelt that day, Kerri Conway could possibly have talked for Ireland.

And finally Hannah Livingstone, a welsh girl who had the temper of a dragon, she was the most cynical person Lily had ever met at such a young age (excluding her sister of course) Hannah had a sarcastic remark ready for any topic or any person who dared to cross her, however strangely enough. Hannah being the pureblood she is, had an intense love for Muggle rock, she even owned a muggle electric guitar …which she spent the majority of her time grumbling about because 1) she couldn't play it at Hogwarts because the magic interfered and 2) she couldn't play it at all. She was not particularly happy when Lily informed her, that she unfortunately did not have the correct type of fingers to play it properly, ever the pessimist she is, she told Lily to piss off and continued to grumble about the injustice of it all.

"Who do you think you're going to get?" Lily asked the group of drunkards as they all settled on their selective beds.

"Doesn' apply ta me" Mary, the lightweight of the bunch slurred.

"Me neither, ima half blood" Kerri spoke, while swaying slightly against the bed posts.

"Well it applies to us three doesn't it" Andy said, being the only one who could drink a tank of Firewhiskey and still be able to find her legs. Lily and Hannah both nodded enthusiastically.

"I Hope I get one of you two" Hannah said while Andy shook her head.

"Nah, they'll not match people in the same dorms Hannah, they will want to mix it up"

"…."

"Hannah?"

Andy sat up on her bed to discover that she was the only one who had not fallen asleep.

"Lightweights" She muttered as she flung herself back down on her pillow.

* * *

"OI, Evans get up" Hannah yelled while clipping her hair back. Lily jumped up with an incoherent "whaa?"

"Time for school Lils, take your hangover potion and get your ass up. Im hungry and I refuse to miss breakfast on account of your _tardiness"_ she yelled.

"STOP…with the yelling" Lily muttered as she took note of the fact that Hannah and she were the only ones in the room.

"Well its 8:30 Lily, you have about 10 minutes to get ready before I successfully kick your ass…the muggle way" Hannah attempted to narrow her eyes while putting her mascara on.

* * *

Lily sat down at her usual spot in the great hall and grabbed a piece of toast from the platter.

"What?" she asked when she noticed her mates beaming at her.

"Have you checked the board to see who you're matched with?" Andy giggled as Lily's eyes widened.

"Merlin, no, I completely forgot. Who did I get it?"

"Guys, who did I get?" She asked warily, a million thoughts running through her head. That creepy Hufflepuff who tried to slip her the love potion or the Ravenclaw who once followed her to her common room, or Amber Davies the girl who makes up animals like Nargals and pretends to pick them off people, it would just be her luck to get someone who belonged in St Mungos.

"You got Potter" Anna grinned. If there was a James Potter fan club, Anna O'Reilly would be the founder, the honorary member and the host of all the meetings. Every year she tried out for the quidditch team, and every year she got laughed off the pitch. Some might say that to laugh her off the pitch was a bit harsh, but Anna O'Reilly could not ride a broom. Anna O'Reilly could not actually get any altitude on a broom and worse Anna O'Reilly knew this and yet every year she attempted to make the team. So naturally enough James Potter thought Anna O'Reilly had fallen right from the top of the crazy tree and hit her head on the branches on the way down.

Lily laughed. "No seriously". Her friends said nothing, they just continued to grin at her.

"Not funny people...who is it?"

"Merlin Lily, you got Potter for that Muggle Studies thing, what a horrible coincidence." Hannah said, coming up behind her with a grin.

Lily felt her smile falter. "Are you actually serious?" James Potter, they gave her bloody James Potter. If Lily thought she would win, she would have cursed professor McGonagall on the spot. It was hardly a secret that she hated every living fibre of his being, bloody hell, even Snape would have been better…well, maybe not…she then caught James and Sirius quite sullenly walking into the great hall. Andy who seemed to have noticed this also spoke up.

"Hey look Lils, its Potter and Black. Anna got Sirius." Lily nodded not really paying attention. Why did they both look so tired? James looked like he hadn't slept at all and Sirius looked as though he had just duelled the muck…and lost. Did he know about the pairings, was that why he was so miserable looking. He was predicting the torture he would be receiving for the entire month of August.

"Lets go tell them" Andy smiled, pushing herself up and dragging Lily with her.

"Hey Sirius, hey James" Andy grinned and gave them a small wave, which Sirius half returned and James not at all.

"Sirius, you're staying at mine for that exchange thing with Anna and James you get the pleasure of staying with our Lily here" Andy said flinging an arm over Lily's shoulder.

Lily tried to smile but she couldn't help noticing their ragged appearance. Their clothes definitely hadn't been slept in and they were covered in muck so they wouldn't have put them on this morning. Lily's features dropped as she frowned, they must have stayed out all night.

"Why do you both look so dirty?" Kerri said, appearing behind them, disgust evident in her voice. Kerri like nearly every other female (including most professors) had a soft spot for James. Once the beater on the Gryffindors quidditch team, she and James had actually at one point been quite close, unfortunately she was also quite close to Sirius, too close!

Kerri and Sirius, for seven months in fifth year were the power couple of Hogwarts. Both being rather high spirited, 'in your face' people, neither had any problems with public displays of affection, meaning that Remus and Lily –as prefects- often had to be the ones to pull them apart when they were found in one of the many broom closets Hogwarts offered.

Kerri Conway was not the usual sort of girl that Sirius Black would opt to date, Sirius liked the wonderfully stereotypical long legged, flawless skinned, flat stomached, idiotic blonde, like the girl he was dating at the minute, Lauren McBennett, a sixth year Hufflepuff who was often seen either trailing behind Sirius or in the infirmary for backfiring spells. It was common knowledge that they were both cheating on the other, but Sirius, who didn't really care for Lauren and just thought she was rather good for the odd snog was far too lazy to break it off and Lauren, who loved her new found popularity that dating _thee Sirius Black_ had given her, would never dare to confront Sirius for fear of him dumping her or to ruin her reputation by dumping him. So no one is really sure how Sirius Black and Kerri Conway came to be, but they did and for seven blissful months they were very much in love, that being said no one is really sure of why their relationship ended either, including Lily. Kerri refused to talk about it and the only people Sirius had told were the marauders who swore never to breathe a word.

"That's not really your business is it?" Sirius answered snidely.

Kerri just rolled her eyes and turned to face James only.

"James?"

"We both woke up early and um…went for a walk this morning"

"Where are Remus and Peter?" Andy asked curiously, she knew Remus' mother was sick and that he was visiting her but he was supposed to be back today, he and Lily were both on patrol tonight and she knew that Lily really didn't want to have to walk around the castle on her own.

"Infirmary, Remus got back this morning and when he walked in he ehm, tripped over Pete and the both of them fell, anyway though, me and you got matched huh?" James grinned swiftly changing the subject.

Glaring at the Quidditch captain in front of her, Lily nodded, and then it hit her. Potter must have had something to do with this, there was just no way it could be a coincidence that they were paired together, of all the sixth year pure bloods, she got him! Probably the only person in Hogwarts who she actually loathed, sure their was a few that she disliked, strongly disliked, take Sirius for example or Vincent Crabbe but Lily was rather proud to say that the only person she really _really_ hated, was James Potter and with good reason too. Last year, he practically stalked her, asked her out everyday, sometimes twice, ruined her friendship with Severus, pulled the most ridiculous, immature, unfunny pranks, him and his bloody Marauders, what a ridiculous name anyway, who do they think are?.

"Did you have some influence in this Potter" Lily asked, anger building in her tone. Without any real proof, Lily was more that willing to bet that Potter had been involved and had no trouble reprimanding him for it. One of Lily's less enticing qualities.

Lily noticed James worried expression as he watched Peter Pettigrew walking towards them. Lily was quite indifferent towards Peter Pettigrew, she didn't know him well enough to be able to say she didn't like him as she did with Potter and Black, but that also meant she couldn't say he was likeable guy like Remus. Truth was, Peter practically ignored Lily, not intentionally of course, he always just seemed to clam up when Lily was around and it always made Lily feel very uncomfortable around him so they both always just avoided conversations when they could.

"Pete" James nodded at the rather short boy now standing beside him. "Moony not with you?"

Peter shook his head and sent a look to both James and Sirius. "He's still up in the hospital wing" then with a look towards Kerri, Andy and Lily threw a smile on his face and chuckled. "Honestly the boys so bloody clumsy."

Sirius looked to James worriedly, James copying him. "Well, suppose we should go do the…potions homework" Sirius said and threw his head towards the door. James and Pete both nodded. Remus rarely needed to stay in the hospital wing any longer than a few hours, especially since his three friends had taken to spending the night with him however when he did need to stay, it was usually because there was something wrong, either the potions weren't helping his wounds, he wouldn't wake up or his scars were particularly bad.

Lily grabbed James arm as he turned, a flicker of surprise flashed across his face as he stared at her hand on his arm.

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" Lily asked, eyes narrowed. Potions homework could wait.

The surprised look on James' face hardened as he stared at her.

"Get over yourself Evans, it's a coincidence" He snapped and pulled out of her grip.

Lily stared at after him a startled look on her face. Potter never talked to her like that, she wondered had he finally after all those years gotten over her, accepted the fact that there was absolutely no chance they would ever be together, sure, she had noticed that lately he had become a little bit more responsible, less pranks had been conducted although that could just have been exam stress or maybe they were planning one really big one for the end of year. He had stopped asking her out _everyday,_ in fact when she thought about it, he hadn't asked her out in about two weeks,he had been seen in the library a few times but Lily refusing to believe that James was nothing but an arrogant, immature prankster always said he was probably just looking up some dangerous idiotic prank.

Had James Potter had matured?

* * *

The three marauders opened the hospital wing doors to find their best friend being restrained by Madame Pomfrey.

"Mr Lupin. Calm down" She ordered while throwing calming draught into him. They could see Remus' frantic eyes searching round the room while he tried to get up before the draught took effect and he lay his head back on the pillow.

Remus looked at his three best friends and they knew that if he wasn't being influenced to be tranquil he would have been hysterical.

Sirius nudged Peter and threw his head toward Pomfrey who was washing out goblets. Pete nodded and suddenly clutched the sides on his stomach groaning.

"ooh, Madame Pomfrey, I have such an awful stomach ache" He moaned. Pomfrey looked up and shuffled over to her office gesturing for Peter to follow, who complied and entered the office after her. Once the door was shut, Sirius and James rushed over to Remus' bed.

"What the fuck happened last night, I remember something, something happened, something bad-"

"Moony mate, it's alright, nothing happened, we went a bit too far into the forest and we ran into someone-"

Remus' features dropped as he gasped and sat up. "Shit, how is that alright Pads, I fucking bit someone."

James pushed Remus back down. "No you didn't, we got you away, and we don't even think he saw you, your fine seriously"

Remus shook his head. "That was too close, we can't go that far again I wont…Im…Im gonna be sick" He suddenly added grabbing the bucket at his side.

Madame Pomfrey's office door flew open as she glared at the boys.

"Out" She yelled.

"But-"

"Mr Black and Mr Potter, I will not have you disrupting my patient, he needs his rest, you may wait until he is released which should be shortly to speak with him. And as for you Mr Pettigrew, you just wasted a perfectly good potion on a sick stomach that you did not have. Now get out of my infirmary the 3 of you" She said sternly. Dejectedly, the boys nodded and waving to their friend left the wing.

Madame Pomfrey, a stout, mousy haired woman actually had quite a soft spot for the marauders having spent a lot of time with them when they were fresh faced youngsters and their pranks had backfired on them, but like any good healer, her patient's welfare came first and Poppy Pomfrey was _very_ protective of her patients.

* * *

"Did you see who I got" Hannah grumbled. "That creepy hufflepuff chaser Carla Green. I hate her, she's such a pain, she cries when they lose, like actually cries. How pathetic is that?" Hannah did not appreciate criers, in fact in all the years that Lily had known her, she had never seen Hannah cry, she had seen her clench her jaw so tightly it looked like she was sanding her teeth and she had seen her narrow her eyes so that they were practically closed to prevent herself from crying, so Lily figured she was human, just not a very emotional one.

"Well I quite like mine" Andy said, "I got Adam Marley, He's a Ravenclaw in my transfiguration class but I don't think Sirius and him get on too well though which could be awkward when they both have to live with us."

Lily nodded over her soup, but to be honest she wasn't really listening, she wasn't really hungry either, she had no idea why, but it had really bothered her when Potter snapped at her. She loathed him; she snapped at him all the time, but he had never snapped at her, it was weird. There was definitely something going on with him.

"Can you believe were going home tomorrow, in two months we will be seventh years, the oldest in the school, how amazing is that?" Kerri grinned excitedly; yeah it was alright for her, she didn't have some pureblood coming to annoy her every second of every day for the month of August. She wasn't going to have to live with James Potter, have to teach the rich, social upper class, James Potter how to work an iron, although Kerri would probably have absolutely jumped at the chance to teach James Potter anything.

"Hey Evans" Lily looked round to see an uncomfortable looking James standing behind her, clutching his hair.

"Look im sorry I snapped at you earlier today, I was thinking about something else and took it out on you but anyway, Padfoot, Moony and I are leaving tonight instead of tomorrow, so I wont see you again until August so um, I don't want it to be really awkward alright, so how about we have a truce alright, for the 27 days that I'll be staying at yours we will tolerate each other alright because otherwise it will just be unbearable. I'll try not to be annoying and you try not to insult me every time I so much as open my mouth. How about it?" James looked at her hopefully while dying of embarrassment on the inside, his ramblings didn't sound as stupid in his head, and how many times had he said the word alright?

Lily stared at him shocked. Not to seem to be underestimating Potter, but Lily had absolutely no idea that he would ever have even thought of having a truce between them, never mind actually wanting one. She wouldn't be able to insult him, not that she wanted to or enjoyed insulting him, sometimes she just couldn't help it, he was so unbelievably annoying at times that she had to, but then he had just said he wouldn't be annoying, so she wouldn't have any need to insult him.

James coughed slightly awkwardly and Lily caught sight of Remus and Sirius leaning against the door waiting for him. She stared back up at him and just nodded. James' face broke out in a grin.

"Kay then, Truce" He said with a nod and stuck out his hand towards Lily who hesitantly shook it.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you in August then" he said before taking off towards his friends.

Lily shook her head towards the questioning eyes of her friends and went back to playing with her soup. Did she really just make a truce with James Potter? James Potter who was coming to stay with her for the month of August, _that James Potter_. Lily happened to be so caught up in the fact that she agreed to be friendly towards Potter that she hadn't realised all that he had said. She had completely skipped over the part apart him leaving.

_Why were he and his friends leaving a day early?_

* * *

So that was chapter 1, how was it?  
Please review and let me know your thoughts on whether or not i should continue. I would really love some constructive criticism on this. Thanks :)


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